diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a9a4404..47389ae 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ tmtags
 ## VIM
 *.swp
 
+## RubyMine
+/.idea/
+
 ## PROJECT::GENERAL
 coverage
 rdoc
diff --git a/lib/signature.rb b/lib/signature.rb
index 19d16da..12c547b 100644
--- a/lib/signature.rb
+++ b/lib/signature.rb
@@ -180,15 +180,11 @@ def string_to_sign
       def parameter_string
         param_hash = @query_hash.merge(@auth_hash || {})
 
-        # Convert keys to lowercase strings
-        hash = {}; param_hash.each { |k,v| hash[k.to_s.downcase] = v }
-
         # Exclude signature from signature generation!
-        hash.delete("auth_signature")
+        param_hash.delete(:auth_signature)
+        param_hash.delete("auth_signature")
 
-        hash.sort.map do |k, v|
-          QueryEncoder.encode_param_without_escaping(k, v)
-        end.join('&')
+        QueryEncoder.encode_params_without_escaping(param_hash)
       end
 
       def validate_version!
diff --git a/lib/signature/query_encoder.rb b/lib/signature/query_encoder.rb
index ad1802b..64552d6 100644
--- a/lib/signature/query_encoder.rb
+++ b/lib/signature/query_encoder.rb
@@ -2,26 +2,50 @@ module Signature
   # Query string encoding extracted with thanks from em-http-request
   module QueryEncoder
     class << self
-      # URL encodes query parameters:
-      # single k=v, or a URL encoded array, if v is an array of values
-      def encode_param(k, v)
-        if v.is_a?(Array)
-          v.map { |e| escape(k) + "[]=" + escape(e) }.join("&")
-        else
-          escape(k) + "=" + escape(v)
-        end
+      # URL encodes query parameters
+      def encode_params(hash)
+        collect_entries_for([], hash) { |v| escape(v) }.join('&')
       end
-      
+
       # Like encode_param, but doesn't url escape keys or values
-      def encode_param_without_escaping(k, v)
-        if v.is_a?(Array)
-          v.map { |e| k + "[]=" + e }.join("&")
+      def encode_params_without_escaping(hash)
+        collect_entries_for([], hash).join('&')
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def collect_entries_for(prefix, value, entries = [], &block)
+        case value
+        when Array
+          value.each { |v| collect_entries_for(prefix + [nil], v, entries) }
+        when Hash
+          value = with_normalized_keys value
+          value.keys.sort.each do |key|
+            collect_entries_for(prefix + [key], value[key], entries)
+          end
         else
-          "#{k}=#{v}"
+          entries << entry(prefix, value, &block)
         end
+        entries
       end
 
-      private
+      def entry(key, value)
+        query_key = key.inject('') do |memo, part|
+          if part.nil?
+            memo << "[]"
+          else
+            part = if block_given? then yield part else part end
+            if memo == ''
+              memo << part
+            else
+              memo << "[#{part}]"
+            end
+          end
+          memo
+        end
+        value = if block_given? then yield value else value end
+        "#{query_key}=#{value}"
+      end
 
       def escape(s)
         if defined?(EscapeUtils)
@@ -42,6 +66,12 @@ def bytesize(string)
           string.size
         end
       end
+
+      def with_normalized_keys(hash)
+        normalized = {}
+        hash.each { |key, value| normalized[key.to_s.downcase] = value }
+        normalized
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/signature_spec.rb b/spec/signature_spec.rb
index 3d972bf..ec15e79 100644
--- a/spec/signature_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/signature_spec.rb
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@
       @request.send(:string_to_sign).should == "POST\n/some/path\nthings[]=thing1&things[]=thing2"
     end
 
+    it "should generate correct string when query hash contains nested elements" do
+      @request.query_hash = {
+        "things" => [{ "thing_1" => "value1" }, { "thing_2" => "value2" }]
+      }
+      @request.send(:string_to_sign).should ==
+        "POST\n/some/path\nthings[][thing_1]=value1&things[][thing_2]=value2"
+    end
+
     # This may well change in auth version 2
     it "should not escape keys or values in the query string" do
       @request.query_hash = {